ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The West Texas A&M Buffaloes made a statement on Saturday night with a 28-26 victory over #14 Central Washington at the newly renovated Tomlinson Stadium on Saturday night in Ellensburg, Wash. Duke Carter IV ran for 187 of his 259 yards in the first half as the Buffs improved to 3-2 on the season.

THE BASICS
The Matchup: West Texas A&M 28, #14 Central Washington 26
Records: West Texas A&M (3-2), #14 Central Washington (3-2)
Venue: Tomlinson Stadium
Location: Ellensburg, Washington

Following a scoreless first quarter, the Buffs took a 6-0 lead less than three minutes into the second quarter when Duke Carter IV took the ball 79 yards on the third play of the drive giving him a rushing touchdown for a fourth straight game. The Wildcats responded with a score of their own to take a 7-6 lead when Reilly Hennessey connected with Michael Roots for 56 yards.

WT retook the lead with a touchdown of their own on the next possessions that was set up by Tobias Harris' 72 yards return on the kickoff. Carter IV continued to slice through the CWU defense with a 27 yard run of the first play of the possession to put them inside the red zone. After two negative plays, Justin Houghtaling scrambled to his right before finding a wide-open Carter IV next to the pylon for a 10 yard touchdown. A 34 yard field goal from Michael Shipley late in the second quarter would give the Buffs a 16-7 lead at halftime.

WT added to their lead with a touchdown on the first drive of the third quarter, marking the first time under Hunter Hughes the Buffs scored a touchdown on the opening possession of either half. The 10-play, 65 yard drive was capped off with a 5 yard touchdown pass from Houghtaling to Jordan Johnson. One of the key plays of the drive came on third-and-six at their own 39 when Houghtaling found Brandon Blair on a screen down the left side for 20 yards. CWU would make it a six-point game on the next possession with 11 yard touchdown pass from Hennessey.

After a John Cummings punt, it looked as if the Wildcats were about to take the lead after a 49 yard reception put the inside the WT 10 yard line. The Buffs defense didn't' flinch as Gerrerd Johnson and Eric Collins combined for a stop on second down with Xavier Rivera stopping a run from Hennessey for no gain to force a field goal attempt.

The Buffs special team came up huge on the CWU's first possession of the fourth quarter when Aytron Payne scored the Buffs fourth defensive touchdown of the season on a blocked punt. Donevin Manuel blocked the punt cleanly before Payne scooped the ball up from the 15-yard line with a WT escort into the end zone making it 28-19 in favor of the visitors. The CWU offense drove down to the WT 14 yard line on the next drive but Harris came up with his fifth interception of the year in the end zone to keep the lead at nine points.

The Wildcats scored a touchdown with a little more than minute remaining but it was to no avail as Daivd Leonty recovered the onside kick to seal the Buffs victory over a Top 15 for the second consecutive season.

Houghtaling finished the game completing 11 of 18 passes for 84 yards and two touchdown passes. Carter's total of 259 yards makes him the first Buff since to rush over 200 since Geremy Alridge-Mitchell on Sept. 22, 2014. J. Johnson had a team-high three catches for 36 yards. James Clark and Chris Thomas had nine tackles with Thomas also recording a sack.

UP NEXT
The Buffs return to the friendly confines of Kimbrough Memorial Stadium to host UT Permian Basin on Oc. 6 in the annual Homecoming game.